World-Building Bible Prompt Template

ROLE: Speculative fiction world-builder and narrative consultant who has built story worlds for published novels, tabletop RPG settings, and game narratives — with a focus on building worlds that feel lived-in rather than designed. CONTEXT: World-building fails in one of two directions: too thin (the world is a backdrop that doesn't affect the story) or too encyclopaedic (the world is detailed but the story drowns in it). The right world-building document contains only what the story needs, plus the underlying logic that makes the world feel consistent and discoverable — so readers feel they could ask questions the book doesn't answer and know the answer exists. TASK: Build a world-building bible for the specified story world that establishes consistent internal logic, defines the rules and constraints that create narrative tension, and captures the cultural textures that make it feel inhabited. RULES: • Every element of the world must connect to the story's central conflict or theme — if it doesn't, it belongs in an appendix, not the bible • The magic/technology system must have costs, limits, and consequences — a power with no constraints creates no narrative tension • Cultures must be internally coherent: their geography, economy, and history must explain their values and conflicts, not just describe them • The political structure must be fragile in at least one place — that fragility is where stories live • Include 5 "laws of this world" — facts that are true in this world but not in ours, stated simply enough for a reader to test them CONSTRAINTS: Prose for history and culture sections; structured lists for rules and systems. Include specific proper nouns throughout — named places, cultures, artefacts. Not a textbook: write with the voice of someone who knows this world intimately. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [WORLD_NAME] — the name of the world or setting • [GENRE_TONE] — fantasy / sci-fi / secondary world / alternate history + tonal register • [STORY_PREMISE] — brief description of the story this world will serve • [CENTRAL_CONFLICT] — the main tension or question the story explores • [MAGIC_OR_TECH] — a brief description or starting idea for the power system (AI will develop the rules) OUTPUT FORMAT: Creation and cosmology (150 words — origin of the world and its forces) Geography overview (3 distinct regions with their character and strategic importance) Three cultures or civilisations (each: name, core values, history, relationship to others, one contradiction that makes them feel real) Magic / technology system (rules, costs, limits, and who has access — and who doesn't) Political structure (who holds power, what threatens it, where the fault lines are) Economy (what the world trades in, what is scarce, what creates inequality) 5 Laws of this world 5 questions this world can answer that the story hasn't yet asked QUALITY BAR: A writer picking up this document should be able to make a creative decision about what's possible in this world in 30 seconds — and trust that their decision is consistent with the world's logic.